Oakland Geology

Lakeside Park is one of the most parklike parks I know. Perhaps I feel this way because I imprinted on it at kindergarten age.

Youthful feelings aside, I think that geology makes the park this way: it’s set on the late Pleistocene marine terrace, planed and beveled by the sea waves during an interglacial highstand approximately 125,000 years ago. The planar setting, studded with trees to the limits of vision, suggests a vision of infinity, or at least limitlessness.

This spot is in front of Children’s Fairyland, where young children then and now can experience mind-blowing things everywhere they look. Show them these rocks, too: they’re ocher-stone and chert from our own hills.

This entry was posted on 1 September 2013 at 5:34 pm and is filed under Oakland boulders, Oakland geology views. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.